The Proposal
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Stan's had it; he wants to marry Kyle. However, Kenny's not going down without a fight. Rated T for language.
1. Past and Future

Clouds had gathered all over the small town of South Park. It was raining heavily, adding to Kyle's sadness.

"_Perfect weather to break up with Kenny._" Kyle thought sarcastically.

The wind was howling across town, throwing the various raindrops in every direction. However, Kyle just put on his thick coat and left for Kenny's house, completely ignoring the terrible weather. He was too focused on his purpose to postpone it. He needed to say it today, or he might not be able to say it later on.

* * *

Every step Kyle took made him feel as if he was walking through water with cement shoes and a current pushing him in the opposite direction. He didn't want to break up with Kenny, but he had no choice. He no longer felt the spark he felt when they started dating. In fact, he felt nothing at all except friendship. It wasn't Kenny's fault. They had simply grown apart over the years.  
As Kyle slowly made his way toward Kenny's house, he began to remember the best moments of his relationship with Kenny. He was always there for him; good moments and bad. He was always able to make him smile, even when he was angry at someone. Kyle had been annoyed by those moments, but now that he looked back on them, he realized that he actually enjoyed them more than he appeared to.

"_I can't think about that... I have to tell him._"

Kyle shakingly raised his arm and prepared to knock on Kenny's front door. However, as luck would have it, Kenny had seen him from his bedroom window, and opened the door before Kyle had time to knock on it.  
Kenny became ecstatic with Kyle's presence. The first thing he did once he opened the door and laid eyes on Kyle was to plant a big kiss on his lips while wrapping his arms around him. Kyle was visibly disturbed as he went inside and told Kenny to sit down. Kenny's gut was telling him something was wrong. He tried to ignore it, but it only lasted until Kyle worked up the courage to tell him what he wanted to.

"I'm breaking up with you."  
"...Why?"  
"I just... I don't feel the same way than when we started dating."  
"We've been dating for three years!"  
"That's exactly my point. I don't feel it anymore. Before there was this spark, but now... now there's nothing."

"_No... This is not happening..._"

Kenny's eyes filled with tears after hearing Kyle's words. He started sobbing and crying, much to Kyle's discontentment. He knew it would progress similarly to this, but knowing it wasn't making it any easier. Without any other choice available to him, Kenny decided to use his last resort.

"Y-You can't just... I-I love you!"  
"...I'm sorry. I don't anymore."

Kenny's tears and sobs turned to angry tears and sobs with Kyle's words. Kyle didn't notice the change in Kenny's demeanor until it was too late.

"Get out."  
"We can still be fr-"  
"Get out!"

Kyle, realizing that Kenny was distressed, did as the boy asked and went back home, leaving him alone, crying and sobbing. His anger slowly subsided, until all that was left was the sadness. Kenny felt empty, as if he had died. All he could think about was Kyle. He desperately wanted him back more than anything else. However, he knew he wouldn't do anything. Kyle had made his choice, and he knew he would respect that, no matter the cost to himself. Kyle was gone, and he needed to face that fact; not run away from it.

"_Kyle's gone... but here's plenty more fish in the sea._"

* * *

**Five years later**

About a year after breaking up with Kenny, just as he was finishing college, Kyle started dating Stan. Kenny tried to accept it, but he only ended up resenting Kyle and hating Stan. Kyle moved out of his parents house shortly after getting a job, to get away from his homophobic mother. Stan moved in shortly thereafter, to be with Kyle.  
After four years of dating, Stan thought that he had had enough. He knew what he wanted, and so he set out to find what he needed in order to get it.

"That's a good one."  
"It is pretty... I'll take it."  
"Good choice."

"_You'd say that even if I chose the cheapest one you've got._"

Stan pulled out his credit card, to pay for the item. The store clerk smiled once the transaction was complete and delivered it in a small box.

"Thanks."

Stan quickly left the store and went home. He had a lot of planning to do.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kyle sat at home alone, waiting for his date with Stan, Kenny started taking a stroll through town. Ever since the breakup, taking walks to clear his mind of any intrusive thoughts, and now he needed that. He had been obsessing about Kyle ever since his breakup, which only served to increase his feelings for him. The last stop before turning back, as always, was Kyle's home. A small house near the edge of town wherein Kyle lived ever since he moved out of his mom's house. It was a one-bedroom home with a small kitchen, a slightly larger living room and one bathroom.  
Kenny always stood outside the large front door for several minutes, wondering whether to knock on it or not. In his dreams, Kyle received him with open arms and told him that he loved him. In reality, however, Kenny had never once tried to knock on Kyle's front door. Until now.

"_Time to move on._"

Kenny raised his arm and, albeit shakingly, knocked on the door three times.

"_Stan's early... More time for us._"

Kyle, thinking that it was Stan at his door, rushed downstairs. His disappointment over seeing Kenny at the door, rather than Stan, was obvious, even to Kenny.

"Oh... Hey, Ken."

"_I can see you're thrilled to see me..._"

"Hey. I was just passing by, and... I wanted to see how you were doing."

After talking to Kyle, Kenny realized that he hadn't thought everything through. He still resented him somewhat, and he had no idea of what he should actually say to Kyle.

"I'm OK. Just waiting for Stan..."

Kenny cringed upon hearing that name, as his anger toward Stan hadn't subsided over the years. However, he knew he had no choice but to play nice. Kyle noticed the change in Kenny's demeanor, but decided not to say anything. Avoiding the issue seemed like the right thing to do.

"Do... you wanna come in?"  
"S-Sure."

Although Kenny wasn't expecting the invitation, he wasn't about to reject it. He hoped that he could reignite the spark that had made Kyle love him in the first place. He knew it was a long shot, but he didn't care. He wanted Kyle back too much to give up any opportunity to do so.

The boys sat down in the small living room together, where Kyle had been watching TV, and started talking to each other. Neither of them knew exactly what to talk about, so they just said the first thing that popped in their heads.

"So... How's your job?"  
"It's going OK."  
"Yeah, I can see that... Nice place you've got here."  
"I didn't want to move out, but my mom was getting to me. She didn't exactly take our relationship like I expected her to."  
"What did she say?"  
"Oh, the usual you used to hear back when gay marriage was illegal. She kept telling me how we're an abomination and such."  
"Ouch."  
"Yeah."  
"...I'm sorry, Kyle."  
"It's not your fault, Ken. She is who she is."

"'_Ken'... You used to call me that back when we... I always liked that._"

* * *

By the time Stan arrived to pick up Kyle, the boys had gotten over the awkwardness surrounding them. They were laughing together, much to Stan's disapproval. The first thought that came to his mind was that Kyle was cheating on him with Kenny. Nevertheless, he remained quiet and waited for Kyle to explain the other boy's presence.  
Kyle could see the mistrust in Stan's eyes, making him nervous. Stan was naturally mistrustful of almost everyone and everything in his life; even Kyle. In his mind, if it seemed strange, it was probably bad.

"H-Hey, Stan. Kenny here was just telling me a funny story about Eric... How're you?"  
"I'm OK... Are you ready?"  
"Yeah. Sorry, Kenny; I gotta go now."  
"I know. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kenny's proposal was very date-like, which made Kyle hesitant to accept it. However, he couldn't deny a request from one of his friends, even if his actions as of late hadn't earned him the title. Kyle always tried to be friends with everyone.

"...S-Sure."

Stan was once again wondering if Kyle was cheating on him, and how long it had been going on. However, he still kept his mouth shut.

* * *

Later that night, Kyle and Stan were enjoying a dinner together, as planned by the latter. Once they were done with their meal, Stan cleared his throat and started talking about his concerns before he approached the real reason for the date. Although he knew Kyle would never cheat on him, his insecurities were getting the best of him.

"Why was Kenny over at your place?"  
"I dunno; he just showed up."  
"OK..."

Although Stan was still unsure of Kenny's situation, he decided to move on to his real motive.

"Listen, Kyle... We've been dating for how long now?"  
"...About four years."  
"So, I-I've been thinking..."  
"You're breaking up with me."  
"W-What? No, no."

Stan got up from the table and knelt next to Kyle. He gently took Kyle's hand and placed the small box on it. Kyle realized what he wanted, but Stan decided to voice his request anyway.

"Will you marry me?"  
"Y-You're serious?"  
"Of course. I love you, Kyle."  
"I-I don't know if-"  
"Kyle, relax. This is up to you. I'm not gonna be mad if you say no."  
"I didn't say no..."

"_You didn't say yes either._"

Kyle blushed ferociously the more he thought about Stan's request. He loved Stan just as much as he had loved Kenny; maybe even more so. However, the decision at hand wasn't one that should be taken lightly. After a while, Kyle finally spoke the words Stan wanted to hear.

"Yes. I'll marry you."

Stan smiled and kissed Kyle before returning to his seat and asking for the check. He had what he wanted, and although he was still wondering why Kenny had made his way to Kyle's house, he couldn't be happier.

* * *

The boys headed back to their small home near the edge of town. Kenny was taking yet another walk, and he arrived just in time to see his ex-boyfriend walk inside. Kyle was closing the door when he noticed him, and so he walked out to give Kenny the good news. He still had the small box given to him by Stan in his pocket. He hadn't even opened it yet.  
Stan watched everything from their bedroom window, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. He was becoming somewhat convinced that something was going on between Kyle and Kenny; something Kyle wasn't telling him about.

"Hey, Kenny."  
"Hey."  
"Taking a walk?"  
"Yeah. Just trying to clear my head."  
"Guess what?"  
"...What?"

Stan couldn't stand watching Kyle and Kenny anymore, so he moved deeper into the room, just as Kyle was getting the small box from his pocket. He turned it toward himself and stared at the small ring inside. Kenny made his way to the boy's side so he could take a peek, and almost fainted. His anger toward Stan increased exponentially with each passing moment, until he couldn't take it anymore and looked away. Kyle was so excited that he didn't notice Kenny's behavior and just kept talking about his engagement.

"Stan asked me to marry him."  
"Yeah. I got that... What did you tell him?"  
"What do you think?"  
"I think you're too young for marriage."  
"You think I should I wait until I'm thirty?"  
"Pretty much."  
"Are you jealous of him or something?"  
"What do you think?" mocked Kenny.  
"...Just go. If you're not gonna take this seriously, you should leave."  
"Fine."

Kenny walked away from Kyle as quickly as he could, much to the latter's annoyance. He didn't understand why Kenny couldn't just be happy for him, rather than being jealous of Stan. Once he walked back into his house and found him with a stern look on his face, his concerns related to Kenny became irrelevant.

"Hey, Kyle. We need to talk."


	2. Preparations

Kyle stared at Stan for a while, somewhat frightened due to his serious expression. He stood for a few seconds before going inside and sitting down in the small living room. Once there, Stan followed his example and asked what he wanted to.

"What's with you and Kenny?"  
"He's just a little upset we're getting married."  
"...Is that all?"  
"Yeah. I'm not cheating on you with my ex, Stan."

Kyle's honesty was blindingly obvious, but Stan still had doubts. After sitting in silence for a while, Stan reluctantly dropped the issue.

"...OK. I trust you, Kyle. I'm sorry I got suspicious."  
"That's alright. Now, we should work out the invitations to our wedding before we do anything else."  
"Yeah. I was thinking about..."

* * *

Meanwhile, as the boys talked about who to invite to their wedding, Kenny made his way into the kitchen and took out several beer bottles from the fridge. He drank each of them slowly in his bedroom, taking his time to think about Kyle. He still loved him deeply, but Kyle didn't share his feelings. He knew Kyle loved Stan now, and all that he could think about was how much he wanted Kyle back.

"_Maybe I want him **because** he doesn't want me... That's certainly cliché enough to be true._"

Kenny finished the last beer and lied down on his bed. He needed to clear his mind, and the alcohol helped him to do that. He had been drinking heavily ever since he broke up with Kyle, but only at night, so he would be fully awake the next day. The hangovers were terrible at first, but eventually he got used to them and was able to act normally during the day.

"_No more beer... I guess it's time to go to sleep._"

Kenny closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, still thinking about Kyle.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kenny passed out, Stan and Kyle got ready for their bedtime. They lied down on their bed facing each other and smiled, happy to be with each other.

"Hey, I was wondering..."  
"Yeah?"  
"Is Kenny prettier than me?"  
"Wh-What kind of question is that? And what's with the sudden obsession with Kenny? Is this a jealous thing? It's over between me and him."  
"...I'm just a little nervous, with the wedding coming up and everything. I don't want anything to go wrong."  
"Just relax... I love **you**, Stan, no matter how much Kenny wishes he could change that."

"_...And that's what has me worried. He might be desperate enough to do something stupid._"

"Now let's just sleep."

Kyle cuddled closer to Stan and gave him a short kiss on the lips before closing his eyes and falling asleep. Stan stayed up for what seemed like hours, trying to work out the details of their wedding in his head. He wanted everything to be perfect, to make Kyle happy. He was so excited to finally marry Kyle that he stayed up all night, unable to sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Kyle and Stan got up at 6 AM sharp, as usual, to leave for their jobs. It was the toughest time for both of them: when they had to be separated for several hours. Kyle hugged and kissed Stan several times in preparation for the arduous task ahead.

"I'll miss you, Stan." said Kyle inbetween kisses.  
"I know. I'll miss you too. Now I have to go. If I'm late my boss'll kill me."

Stan gently brushed Kyle aside and left first. Kyle was always the last one to leave, because his schedule allowed it. Stan, on the other hand, had to leave home early.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kyle watched Stan drive away, Kenny slammed the snooze button on his alarm clock, unsuccessfully trying to use it. Eventually he became too frustrated to care and just tossed it against the wall in front of him, smashing it into tiny pieces and leaving a mark on the wall.

"_Fucking alarm clock._"

"KENNY! Is everything alright up there?"  
"Yeah, Kevin! Everything's fine!"

"_Now I'll never get back to sleep..._"

* * *

Several minutes later, once he gave up on sleep, Kenny got up and started getting ready for college. Unlike Stan and Kyle, who graduated with ease, his grades crashed after the break-up. Kenny was simply too depressed to care once he had lost the most important thing in his life.

"_Time for school... Or college. Whatever..._"

"Alright, I'm off to college."  
"Have fun."

"_As if I could..._"

* * *

By the time Kenny made it to his college, Kyle was frantically searching for a picture of Stan in his work desk. It had recently occurred to him that he hadn't brought any to work, but he wanted to check anyway. Instead, he found a few pictures of himself with Kenny that they had taken when they were together.

"_Kenny..._"

Kyle's mind began to wander. Why were there still pictures of Kenny in his desk? Why hadn't he removed them? Why did that bother him? The questions floated around in his head, but no answer was found. At least not one Kyle was willing to consider.

* * *

While Kyle focused on Kenny and Kenny focused on Kyle, Stan worked tirelessly in preparation for his wedding. His boss had already revealed that he didn't mind, as long as he didn't spend too much time doing it. However, Stan didn't care. He was psyched for the wedding and spent as little time as possible doing his actual job.

As Stan typed away wedding invitations in his laptop, Kenny found himself surrounded by his many friends. Kenny had always been a popular guy, who could easily make friends with even the most antisocial of individuals.  
Kenny looked around himself several times. He was surrounded by friends, yet he had never felt more alone in his life.

"_I miss Kyle so much..._"

Kenny felt tears rushing to his eyes, so he ran as quickly as he could to the bathroom, where he could cry without any repercussions to his reputation.

"_Dammit... I can't believe I'm crying over this again... I thought I'd gotten over him... I guess I was wrong, as usual._"

Kenny quickly wiped his tears and pushed all thoughts of Kyle out of his head before leaving the bathroom. He was finally ready for another day.

* * *

Later that afternoon, once Kenny dropped his things at his house, he started heading for Kyle's place. In spite of the jabbing pain in his chest every time he remembered what Kyle and Stan were planning, he kept his word about meeting Kyle. They arrived almost at the same time, much to their surprise.

"Hey, Kenny."  
"Hey."  
"So, what do you wanna talk about?"  
"I dunno. I just wanted to hang out. We haven't really done that since... All I'm saying is that it's been too long."  
"I agree. C'mon; let's go inside."

Kyle unlocked his front door and led Kenny into the small living room, where the boys sat down next to each other. They remained in silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Kenny was desperately trying to overcome his embarrassment over his actions with Kyle the previous day, whereas Kyle could only think about Stan and the wedding.

"Look, Kyle, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I **am** jealous of Stan, but that's no excuse for what I said."  
"That's... uncharacteristically grown up of you."

"_Always with the big words..._" thought Kenny.

"I just want things to go back to normal between us."  
"Kenny, it's been years... And I'm not so sure now's the right time for that."  
"Why? Because you're getting married?"  
"Yes."  
"...You know what? Forget this. I was trying to be a friend, and-"  
"Don't start that. I'm just saying, can you really keep a clear head when I'm about to make what's probably the biggest decision of my life?"  
"It's your choice, Kyle. I can handle it."

"_At least I hope I can._"

"I hope so, Kenny... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my mom's and invite my family to the wedding."  
"I would've thought Stan was taking care of the invites. He's the one who proposed, after all..."  
"He is, but I want to talk to my mom myself."  
"I thought you said she's not exactly happy about..."  
"I still care about her, Kenny. She's still my mother, even if she doesn't act like it anymore."

"_Always with the empathy... That used to annoy the hell out of me... Now I just miss it. I miss **you**._"

Kenny became lost in his own thoughts, which didn't go unnoticed by Kyle. He briefly wondered what was on Kenny's mind, but once Stan made his way through the front door, he became fearful that his fiancée would overreact to Kenny's presence, as he had done the previous day.

"Hey, guys."

Stan appeared to be at ease with Kenny and Kyle hanging out, which calmed down the latter.

"Hey, Stan."  
"Hey... Well, I should get going. I'm sure you guys have a lot to talk about, with the wedding and all that..."

Kyle's first instinct was to tell Kenny that he didn't have to leave, but he was too worried that Stan would take it the wrong way, so he simply nodded and Kenny left him and Stan alone.

* * *

Later that day, once Stan and Kyle agreed on the design for their invitations, they split up. Stan headed for the post office, to print and send the invitations, whereas Kyle headed to his mother's house. He wanted to invite her and his family in person, rather than through a card.

"_Time to make her face the truth._"

Kyle knocked on his mother's front door, confident that he'd be able to invite her and the rest of his family without any trouble. The door was opened by Ike, who greeted his brother with a big hug followed by a short handshake.

"Hey, Kyle. I haven't seen you in a few weeks. How's everything going?"  
"Hey, Ike. Everything's good. Great, in fact, which is why I'm here."  
"C'mon. You can tell me all about it inside."  
"Thanks."

Once the brothers made their way into the living room, Kyle raised his hand and showed his sibling the ring Stan had given him.

"No way."  
"Yes way. Stan proposed, and I said yes."  
"That's great news! So, are you here to invite us to the wedding?"  
"Of course. You guys are my family. I want you there."  
"What about mom? You know how she is..."  
"I want her there too, even if she doesn't."  
"...Look, it's no secret that mom doesn't really want you around anymore. I don't think you should invite her. She'll take it the wrong way and start yelling or something... You know how she feels about your whole... situation."  
"I know, but... she's my mom. **Our** mom... Even if she doesn't really act like it."

"_So much for unconditional love._"

"Alright. It's your choice."  
"Where **is** mom, by the way?"  
"On a date with dad. They should be back soon..."

* * *

Almost an hour later, Kyle and Ike's parents finally returned from their date. Their mother was particularly surprised to see Kyle, whom she hadn't spoken to since he moved in with Stan, in spite of Kyle's many attempts to do so over the phone. Her first instinct was to berate her son for being gay, but her husband's disapproving look was enough to keep her at bay.  
Unlike his wife, Kyle's father was still in touch with his son and approved of his sexual orientation.

"Hey, son."  
"Hey, dad."

Kyle's mom watched as her husband and son hugged, something she hadn't done in several years. She grew jealous of their obvious connection and became upset that they were displaying it openly. She coughed loudly to get their attention and the room was permeated by an awkward silence. Eventually, when the silence became deafening, Kyle cleared his throat and showed everyone the reason for his presence. His parents' reactions were polar opposites: where his father showed pride and enjoyment, his mother showed disgust and disapproval. Kyle focused solely on his mother's reaction, as she was the main reason for his invitation. He hoped to fix their relationship by inviting her to his wedding, but he could see that that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"So Stan proposed?"  
"Yeah!" replied Kyle, excited to share the news.  
"...And you said yes?" Sheila asked hesitantly.  
"Of course!"  
"So when's the wedding?"  
"It's in a few days."  
"Already?"  
"Yeah. Stan thought we should wait a little longer, but I didn't want to. He's out sending invitations right now. I wanted to invite you guys personally, though."  
"Thanks, son."

The whole family was back together again. In spite of her previous disgust, even Sheila was feeling somewhat nostalgic. Kyle noticed the change in her demeanor and smiled to himself, relieved that his mother seemed at ease about his presence.

"So, can I count on you guys to show up?"  
"Of course. Right, honey?"

The room was filled with yet another awkward silence as everyone stared at Sheila, awaiting her answer. She could feel their questioning eyes digging holes on her skin, expecting her to say yes. Once all the men in the room started glancing at each other instead of Sheila, she gave her answer.

"Sorry, Kyle. I can't be there."  
"Thanks, mom. I knew I could count on you." Kyle said sarcastically.


	3. Betrayal

Just letting you guys/girls know that I've got a new series of stories in mind. Without spoiling too much, I'm just going to say it involves Cthulhu and Mysterion. I've started reading "The Call of Cthulhu" so I know what Cthulhu's like. The first one will be released after this one, followed by two unrelated stories, and, after those two stories, the final two sequels will follow. After that I'm thinking about taking a break from writing.  
I'm also looking for some new beta readers. Please contact me by PM if you're interested.

* * *

Kyle left his mother's home frustrated over her apparent unwillingness to accept him for who he was. After a while, his frustration turned to angry tears, and finally just a deep sadness. He went home, expecting to see Stan, but he found their home completely empty.

"_Stan's probably just running late..._"

Kyle curled up on the floor and started crying due to his mother's refusal to attend their wedding. He didn't understand how someone who was supposed to love him unconditionally could be so cold and distant just because of something he had no control over. After getting up and waiting for Stan for a few minutes, still drowning in tears, his mind turned to someone else. Someone who was definitely available to support.

"_Maybe... He **did** say he wanted things to go back to normal between us... whatever that means._"

* * *

Once Kyle arrived at Kenny's home, he hesitantly knocked on the door. He could hear Kenny's footsteps getting closer and closer, making his heart race in his chest. He dismissed it as being irrelevant and walked inside once Kenny invited him in. The first thing Kyle did when he stepped inside was look around, to see if anything had changed. He was relieved and glad to see that Kenny's home hadn't changed a bit in all the years since he had stepped foot in it.

"Hey, Ken."  
"Hey."  
"I see this place is pretty much the same way I left it."  
"Yeah. We don't like change..."

Kyle's eyes were still slightly red from crying; something Kenny noticed almost immediately. He reached for Kyle's face and wiped a stray tear in the corner of his eye whilst asking the obvious question on his mind.

"Have you been crying?"  
"Y-Yeah." said Kyle as he gently removed Kenny's hand from his face. "My mom..."  
"Don't tell me: she doesn't want to go to your wedding?"  
"Yeah... Are **you** coming?"  
"Kyle..."  
"Please, Ken. I want you there."

Kenny looked into Kyle's questioning eyes and felt his chest tighten as the realization that he was about to disappoint Kyle set in.

"I-I can't."  
"Why not?"  
"It's no secret that I still... like you. Being there... seeing what you're about to do... I can't handle it."

Kyle's eyes teared up again after hearing Kenny's words. Kenny left for the kitchen to get the one thing he thought would help: beer.

"Do you want some beer?"  
"Yeah, sure, Ken." said Kyle as he wiped away his tears.

The boys drank their beers slowly, in complete silence. They took small sips of their cold beverages and glanced at each other occasionally, without the other noticing. Once they were done with their first beers, Kenny offered Kyle a second one, which the smaller boy took and drank without hesitation, much to Kenny's surprise.

"Slow down a bit."  
"I'm OK."  
"I've never seen you drink a beer that quickly."  
"Something I learned from you, no doubt."  
"...What do you want me to say, Kyle? I've already explained why I can't be there."  
"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to be there for me."  
"But **why**? Why can't you just be happy that everyone else is going?"  
"'Everyone else' is not one of my best friends."  
"We haven't spoken in... quite a while before a few days ago. How can you still consider me a friend?"  
"...I've always considered you a friend, Kenny. Even before you did."  
"Kyle..."

Kenny reached for Kyle's face, but, upon the latter setting his eyes on him, retracted his hand and instead reached for a third beer.

"Here."  
"I shouldn't..."  
"You can ask Stan to pick you up."

The boys looked at each other for a while before Kyle took the bottle from Kenny's hands. As he did, their fingertips touched for a split second; just long enough to be noticed by both of them. Kenny quickly removed his hand from the bottle upon noticing this, and so the bottle fell on the ground, breaking instantly upon impact and splashing its contents all over the floor, narrowly missing the boys' feet.

"Dammit!"  
"I-I'm sorry, Kenny. I'll clean it up."  
"That's alright, I'll do it."

After Kenny cleaned up the spilled beer and glass shards, he handed Kyle another beer, which the boy took and held on to tightly.

"Sorry about... the other one."  
"It's OK. It slipped. Stuff like that happens to me all the time."  
"Still-"  
"It's fine, Kyle. Don't worry about it." said Kenny as he gently patted Kyle's shoulder.

The boys kept drinking their beers slowly, taking their time to savor the moment they were sharing. After Kenny made it halfway through his bottle, he put it down on the small coffee table in front of him and turned to Kyle.

"So... do you wanna talk about your mom?"  
"Where do I start? She's being selfish. I don't get what the big deal is. Why does she hate me so much? I wish I had never told her in the first place."  
"It's not your fault, Kyle. She is who she is."  
"I know. I just wish..."

Kyle's eyes filled with tears yet again. Kenny watched as his former boyfriend's tears rolled down his rosy cheeks and fell on his pants, soaking them.

"I wish things were different!" Kyle finally said.  
"I know, Kyle. I know. I wish so too."  
"...Kenny, I'm sorry I... I hurt you. I didn't mean-"  
"Kyle, this is not the right time for that kind of talk. This is about **you**. What happened between us is irrelevant."  
"...Thanks, Kenny. You always know just what to say."  
"It's a gift."

"_Very modest, Ken._"

* * *

After the sixth beer, Kyle's tears faded away, and both boys felt relaxed and at ease with each other. Kenny's mind was overcome with a deep desire to hold Kyle the way he used to before they broke up, whereas Kyle's was filled with images and thoughts of all the good times he had had with Kenny. Eventually, after they finished their eighth beer, both boys looked at each other and smiled.

"What'cha smilin' about, Kyle?"  
"Just... stuff. You?"  
"I was just thinking about how much I miss you..."

The boys giggled and smiled at each other once again. Kenny reached for Kyle's hand and caressed it gently. Then, convinced Kyle was feeling the same way he was, he reached for Kyle's face and pulled him closer, until he was only inches away. At first, Kyle pulled away, but, after a few seconds, he gave in to his desire and kissed Kenny on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a brief moment, barely enough for them to feel anything, but long enough to make both of them blush. Once the kiss was over, Kyle immediately covered his blushing face in shame and regret.

"I-I'm sorry, Ken. I-I don't know what came over me..."  
"Kyle, I-"  
"I should go."  
"Y-Yeah... That's probably for the best."

Kenny and Kyle headed toward the door, which Kenny promptly opened. Kyle stood there for a few seconds, staring at Kenny. Kenny understood what Kyle wanted, even though no words were uttered. He closed the door and gently pulled Kyle closer for a kiss.

"I missed you, Ken."  
"I missed you too, Kyle."

Outside Kenny's doorstep, a familiar face watched the scene unfolding. He stared as Kenny and Kyle shared a deep kiss and smiled to himself.

"_Kenny... This is gonna be great for blackmail._"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyle's parents' home, Gerald was trying to convince Sheila to join him at their son's wedding.

"Sheila, this is our son. Ike's going too. Why can't you be there?"  
"You know why."  
"Yes, I do. You believe it's wrong. But can't you just forget about that and be there for him?"  
"Gerald... I can't... It's a betrayal of everything I stand for!"  
"It's your son. **Our** son. He's more important than that. Can you really tell me you're not doubting your decision even a little?"  
"Gerald, I... D-Do you think he'll still want me there?"  
"Of course."  
"...I'll think about it."

"_Good._"

Ike was able to hear his parents' conversation from his bedroom, which made him smile.

"I hope Kyle appreciates dad's intervention..."

* * *

Back at Kenny's home, the boys shared kiss after kiss, taking their time to do it properly, always wanting just one last kiss. Eventually they lied down on Kenny's bed and fell asleep, still holding on to each other.

* * *

A few hours later, once Kenny's parents and siblings returned, Kyle woke up after a particularly bad nightmare. He could barely remember it; only flashes of Stan fighting Kenny remained. In a few minutes, however, even those were gone, leaving only a deep sense of fear.

"_Hm... Ken's still asleep... I should leave._"

Kyle leaned closer to Kenny and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before getting dressed and leaving for his own home.

* * *

It was almost midnight when Kyle left Kenny's house. It was dark, and the moon was high in the sky. The stars were shining brightly, which Kyle enjoyed greatly. He could barely walk in a straight line, but he somehow made it to his own home, where Stan was waiting for him. Kyle could see the soft lights inside his house, as well as Stan's silhouette quickly pacing around the small living room. He knocked on the door twice before Stan rushed toward it and opened it with a relieved look on his face.

"Kyle! Where have you been?! I was worried about you!"  
"Y-Yeah, sorry. I was... out."  
"I was about to call the cops!"

Once Stan stopped long enough to take a breath, his nose was assailed by the stench of the many beers Kyle had been drinking.

"A-Are you... drunk?"  
"I had... some beers."  
"How many is 'some'?"  
"About... eight or nine..."  
"Why?"  
"I was... My mom... She didn't..."

Kyle mumbled a few more incomprehensible words, making Stan realize that he wasn't going to get any answers out of Kyle while he was in this state. He finally gave up on trying to get anything out of him and decided to drop the issue.

"...Come on; let's go to sleep."

"We'll talk again when you're sober."

"Thanks, Stan... For everything."

Stan helped Kyle get upstairs, and put him in bed. After waiting a few minutes for Kyle to fall asleep, he went to bed himself and dozed off several minutes afterward.

* * *

Several hours later, the sun was once again shining through the window in the boys' bedroom. Kyle was the first to wake up, due to the light, with a massive headache. He slowly began to remember what he had done the previous night. At first it was just blurry flashes and scattered thoughts, but it soon turned into coherent images and a deep sense of regret. His hands began to shake slightly, as the fear of Stan's reaction set in.

"_Oh god... Should I tell Stan? We're getting married in a few days... What did I do? Fuck, this headache makes it impossible to think!_"

Stan yawned loudly and stretched himself before opening his eyes. When he did, he was faced with Kyle's stern look and shaking hands.

"What's wrong? Hangover?"  
"Y-Yeah."  
"Wanna tell me why you were drinking in the middle of the night, alone?"  
"Stan, I..."

Kyle looked into Stan's piercing blue eyes with regret on his face. Although Stan could see it, he decided to give Kyle the time he needed to talk to him about it, rather than blurting out that he knew something was wrong.

"I... wasn't alone last night."  
"Well, who were you with?"

Kyle hesitated to tell Stan who he had been with; not only because he was drunk with Kenny, but because he knew he was showing signs that he had done something he wasn't supposed to.

"...K-Kenny."

In spite of his best efforts, Stan couldn't help but feel angry that Kyle was spending time with Kenny. He tried to convince himself that they were just hanging out as friends, but Kyle's look told him otherwise.

"So... What happened?"  
"Well..."


	4. The Wedding

The next story is gonna take a while to be posted, since I haven't finished reading "Call of Cthulhu" yet. However, while I read it, I'll be working on the two unrelated stories I mentioned in the last chapter, which means that they should be posted fairly quickly.

* * *

Stan paced around his and Kyle's bedroom fairly quickly. His nostrils flared and his heart was pounding. Kyle's revelation had stirred up feelings of anger and anguish within the raven-haired boy. However, they weren't aimed at Kyle; rather they were aimed at Kenny. A heavy silence surrounded both boys, until Stan decided to ask the most important question on his mind.

"Why?"  
"...Why what?"  
"Why did you go to him?"  
"...I told you, I was feeling like crap that my mom said what she said, and I just wanted to feel better."  
"You could have waited for me."  
"What do you want me to say, Stan? I'm sorry. It was a stupid mistake to go there, and an even stupider mistake to get drunk."  
"I'm not angry at you, Kyle. I'm angry at **him**."  
"It's not his fault. I'm the one who... started it."  
"I don't blame you, Kyle."

"_But I do._" thought Kyle as he avoided staring into Stan's disapproving eyes.

"...Look, Kyle... If you want to be with him, you should be with him. I'm not gonna get mad if you decided to be with him instead of me."  
"H-How can you even say that? I **love** you. I want to **marry** you."  
"Kyle, I'm just saying-"  
"You're saying you think I'd leave you when we're about to make what's probably going to be the most important decision of our lives."  
"I didn't mean... I-I'm sorry. You're right."  
"...Don't apologize. After what I did, you shouldn't have to apologize."

* * *

Meanwhile, as Stan and Kyle tried to cope with their situation, each using their own unique methods, Kenny woke up. Unlike Kyle, his headache was minimal. Due to the boy's habit of getting drunk, he was used to the pain, and was able to ignore it partially.  
He found himself alone in his bed, much to his surprise. His memories slowly returned, and he smiled.

"_I can't believe Kyle... He still likes me. I knew it! I fucking knew it!_"

Kenny smiled and giggled to himself as he walked around the room, excited that he had found out that Kyle still liked him. He stood next to his bedroom window and glanced at his alarm clock. It was later than he expected, but still good given his tendency of sleeping until 2 PM. When he glanced out of his window, he saw Eric Cartman heading toward his front door, and knocking on it. Although he wasn't Kenny's best friend, in his current state of excitement, even his visit only enhanced it further.

"I'll get it!"

Kenny rushed downstairs half-naked and opened the door. He resisted the urge to tell Cartman everything, since he knew it would devastate Stan once he heard, but there was no need.

"Hey, Kenny."

Cartman's smug smile made Kenny feel uneasy. Although Cartman generally was a dick to everyone, he knew when he had something good, and was not afraid to show it.

"H-Hey."

Cartman could see Kenny was feeling uneasy, which only added to his own feelings of superiority.

"So... How's Kyle?"  
"I dunno."  
"Right... Why were you putting your tongue in his mouth yesterday?"  
"...You saw that?"  
"Hard to miss. I was just coming over to... well, it doesn't matter now. I saw everything."

"_No you didn't. Most of it happened in my room._"

"What do you want, Eric?"  
"A very good question. As I lied at my bed, I was thinking-"  
"Get to the point, Cartman."  
"I want you to do everything I tell you to do. And I do mean **everything**, or I'll tell Stan all about your affair with Kyle."  
"It was a one-time thing. We were drunk, and-"  
"I really, **really** don't give a shit... So, do we have a deal?"

Kenny could feel shivers running down his spine, along with sweat pouring out of every pore on his skin. He looked at Cartman with obvious tension, and spoke the words he longed to hear.

"...Fine. We have a deal."  
"Glad to hear it. Now get dressed. I've got a lot of stuff for you to do."

"_Fucking Cartman..._"

* * *

Kenny spent several hours doing Cartman's chores around his house. From mowing his lawn to cleaning his room, Kenny did everything Cartman told him to. Once he returned home, exhausted and dirty, his first action was to take a long, warm shower.

"_At last... I can't believe the day is finally over._"

Kenny turned on the warm water and got in the shower. He watched fat drops of water dripping down his medium-sized blond hair and thought about Kyle.

"_Kyle, Kyle, Kyle... I just can't get you out of my head. Even when Cartman was forcing me to basically be his slave, all I could think about was you..._"

Once Kenny got out of the shower and into his pajamas, he lied down on his bed, still thinking about Kyle. Once his thoughts turned to Cartman, however, he tensed up and decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time.

"_Just a quick smoke..._"

Kenny grabbed a small pack of cigarettes from a hidden panel on the floor and lit one up. He smoked it until it was all but gone.

"_That didn't help in the least... I need something stronger._"

Kenny returned to the same hidden panel and removed a small bag from it. He took it to the kitchen, where he warmed a spoon full of water and partially dumped the contents of the small bag onto it. After injecting himself with the concoction, he became more relaxed and passed out on the couch.

* * *

"Kenny! Wake up!"  
"Hm..." Kenny groaned. "Who's there?"  
"It's me, Kyle."

"_Kyle?_"

Kenny's eyes flew open when he heard the name of the one whom he loved so much. Kyle smiled down on him, somewhat blushing.

"Hey, Ken. Why are you sleeping out here? Come into your room. It's warmer."

Kenny followed Kyle into his room, when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"H-How did you get in?"  
"Shh... Don't worry about it. Come on. Get in bed with me."  
"This isn't right... You're engaged to Stan, and you'd never do something like this, unless you were massively drunk."  
"Why can't you just accept this?"  
"I'm dreaming, aren't I? It's the only logical explanation. Either that or I'm so high I'm hallucinating."  
"...Good guess. The truth is, you're dreaming."  
"Good."  
"Why?"  
"Because I can do this."

Kenny put his arm around Kyle, pulling him closer into a kiss. Their tongues invaded each other's mouths, slowly dancing together. After a while, Kenny broke the kiss, stared into Kyle's eyes and started crying. Kyle ignored his ex-boyfriend's tears and kissed him softly on the neck. Kenny, however, pushed him away and dried his tears.

"I wish you were real, Kyle. I wish you loved me again."  
"I do, Ken. I do."

Kyle vanished into thin air, and Kenny woke up back on his couch. The dream slowly went away, but the emotions remained. He could feel Kyle's warm breath on his neck, which sent shivers down his spine.

"_Kyle..._"

* * *

Later that day, Cartman visited Kenny yet again. This time, Kenny had already gotten dressed in preparation for his visit. Cartman noticed Kenny's seemingly reasoned acceptance of his situation and smiled to himself.

"C'mon. Today we're going to do something a little different."  
"Yeah? What now? Do you want me to suck your dick, fatass?"  
"What's with the hostility? Here I was, being friendly, and you go and ruin the mood... Maybe you don't really want me to keep quiet about you messing around with other people's fiancés."

"_Such a big word for such a big retard._"

"...Fine, Cartman. What do you want?"  
"That's better. Now, what I want you to do is..."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyle's home, he and Stan were discussing their wedding plans.

"Bachelor party?"  
"Like any of our friends would want to come to a gay bachelor party."  
"We could invite girls as well, you know."  
"...To be honest, I really don't feel like having a bachelor party." Kyle said.  
"That's alright."  
"I'm sorry..."  
"It's fine, Kyle. I'm not gonna force you to have a bachelor party if you don't want one."

"_Although I can't have one if you don't have one... But that's OK. You're worth that, and more._"

"Do you want something special for the wedding?"  
"Just you, Stan."

"_You always know just what to say._"

"...What did Kenny say when you invited him to our wedding?"  
"He said he couldn't make it. He said... He said he still liked me too much to be there."

"_That seems like a contradiction..._" Stan thought.

"Anyway, what else...?"

* * *

**TWO DAYS LATER**

Kyle was once again alone in the home he shared with Stan. His fiancé was still at work, which meant that Kyle had some time alone. It was also their last date before the wedding – Stan had planned a outing under the night sky, away from all the town's lights, so they could properly observe the stars.

* * *

Kyle decided to try one last time to convince Kenny to attend his wedding. He headed for Kenny's home, where the latter was once again injecting himself with a large amount of heroin. Kyle knocked on the door, making Kenny answer it, even though his arm was still bleeding somewhat from the injection. Kenny was alone, like Kyle had been, so there wasn't much of a choice. He also expected it to be Cartman at the door – not Kyle – so he didn't think there was any problem with answering the door.

"Kenny! Open up!"

"_Kyle?_"

"H-Hey, Kyle. 'Sup?"  
"I was just in the neighborhood, and... I wanted to talk to you about coming to my wedding."

Kenny, under the effect of heroin, laughed out loud and smiled at Kyle's statement.

"We've had this discussion before. I... I-I can't be there."  
"Are you feeling alright?"  
"I-I've been... Something t-to calm me down. Cartman..."  
"Kenny?"

Kenny's legs gave out, making him fall forward and onto Kyle, who held on to him as if both of their lives depended on it. He tried his best to lift Kenny into his arms, but he was just too weak to do it. Instead, he dragged Kenny onto his living room couch and laid him there to keep him safe. He noticed the needle prick on his forearm and rightly assumed that Kenny had injected himself with something.

"_Kenny... Why do you do this to yourself?_"

"Kenny... I don't know if you can hear me, but... I want you at my wedding. I **need** you there. I think... I think I still love you. I know what alcohol does to you, but I drank it anyway... with **you**. Looking back on it now, I think breaking up with you was a stupid thing to do... I-"  
"Kenny! Open up! You forgot to do my homework!"

"_Is that... Cartman?_"

Kyle opened the door to Cartman, who was surprised to see Kyle together with Kenny again.

"Hey, fag. Why are you visiting your ex?"  
"None of your business, fatass."  
"Right, the wedding! Of course, how could I forget?"  
"...How do you know about that? I didn't send you an invitation."  
"Kenny told me."

"_What?!_"

"He told me a bunch of stuff. He told me where your first date was, and-"

Kyle walked out, angry at Cartman, but mostly disappointed by Kenny's willingness to share information with someone whom Kyle himself despised so much. He walked out, leaving Cartman alone with Kenny. He was so angry that he didn't even think about what Cartman might do to Kenny.

* * *

When Kyle arrived back at his place, Stan was waiting for him. Kyle looked like he was about to cry, prompting his fiancé to ask what had happened.

"What happened?"  
"I was... out. I was taking a walk."  
"You look like you were crying." Stan said as he reached for Kyle's face and stroked his cheek.  
"I'm fine. Let's just go." Kyle replied as he pushed Stan's hand away.

* * *

Later that night, Stan and Kyle were at their designated spot to watch the stars. Stan had prepared everything, from the amateur telescope he had bought for Kyle's twentieth birthday to a high-resolution camera that they could use to take pictures of the night sky. Everything was in perfect condition, except Kyle, whose mind was somewhere else entirely.

"_Kenny... Why did you tell Cartman all that stuff?_"

"-do you think, Kyle? ...Kyle?"  
"Huh? What?"  
"...You're distracted."  
"No, I'm... I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something."  
"No kidding. I've never seen you so upset before. What's wrong?"  
"I was just... Look, it's nothing."

Kyle lied down on the soft, cold grass beneath his feet and stared up at the stars. Stan lied down next to him, and the boys cuddled together for warmth.

"This is nice, isn't it?"  
"It sure is, Stan... I love the way your eyes look just like the night sky."  
"Really? I hadn't noticed."  
"You're lying!" laughed Kyle.  
"Totally."  
"...I love you so much, Stan."  
"I love you too, Kyle."

* * *

**FIVE DAYS LATER**

The big day had arrived. Kyle and Stan had worked out their issues, and Kenny spent almost the whole week doing what Cartman ordered him to do. He split his time between being Cartman's slave and injecting himself with heroin, in order to relax. Every night he had the same dream – Kyle would find him asleep on the couch, wake him up, and offer to share a bed with him. Every night he was content with a simple kiss. However, the thrill of dreaming about Kyle was wearing off rather quickly. Every time he dreamt about Kyle, the kiss became less and less exciting, until he barely felt anything at all. It was as if he became numb to everything that was going on. Even Cartman's blackmail threats seemed like nothing. Kenny felt nothing for anything; the only thing that remained was his desire to be with Kyle again. It was beyond anything he could describe; it permeated every fiber of his being and filled him with regret. Regret that he had pushed Kyle away unintentionally. Regret that he didn't talk to him for several years, until it was already too late. And regret that he had rejected Kyle's offer to be at his wedding.  
Kyle had visited Kenny a few times when Stan was away, even though he had asked him not to after finding out about the first visit five days prior to the wedding. Kyle, unaware of Cartman's blackmail threats, didn't understand why Kenny was using heroin again. He thought that Kenny had simply slipped back into his self-destructive path that he had been on since they were kids. Kenny had changed when he and Kyle started dating: he became more concerned for his health and general well-being, but all that went away once they broke up. Kenny knew he had changed for the better when he started seeing Kyle, and he tried to hang on to that change, but, without Kyle, it was simply too hard for him to do it.

"Kyle... I was so fucking high when you came here five days ago... I don't even remember what happened."

Kenny's thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on his front door. He stayed on his bed for a few seconds, prompting the visitor to announce himself verbally.

"Kenny! Get your gay ass down here!"

"_Fucking Cartman... I guess it's really **my** fault, for what I did..._"

Kenny rushed downstairs and opened the front door, expressing his discontentment over seeing Cartman. The fat boy noticed this, but completely ignored it. He knew Kenny would do anything he asked, even if he didn't want to.

"C'mon, blondie. My homework is waiting."

"_I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna kick your ass... Fucking fatty._"

* * *

While Cartman led Kenny into his home, to get him to do his homework, Stan and Kyle got dressed for their wedding. Both of their hearts were pounding in their chests from the excitement, specially Kyle's, as he had just found out that his mother would be attending his wedding.

"Did you hear? My dad convinced my mom to come to our wedding!"  
"That's great news! I know how much you wanted her to come."

Kyle's heart raced even further when his thoughts turned to Kenny. Every time he visited Kenny, he was either passed out with a needle in his hand and a hole in his arm, injecting himself with a near-lethal amount of heroin or completely stoned. Every time Kyle observed this, he felt as if a small part of him died along with Kenny's self-respect.

"_Kenny... I wish I could end your pain..._"

"What'cha thinkin' about, Kyle?"  
"Just... stuff."  
"...I'm so happy for this, Kyle. You wouldn't believe how many times I've dreamed about this... I can't believe it's actually happening."  
"I'm happy too, Stan."

As soon as Kyle said the words Stan wanted to hear, his heart dropped. Although he desperately wanted to believe it to be true, he knew that the true reason his heart was racing was because he couldn't stop thinking about Kenny. Deep down, he felt depressed on what should be the happiest day of his life.

"C'mon. It's starting."

"_Kenny..._"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kenny's home, the blond boy was lying down on his bed, truly resting for the first time in over a week.

"_Finally... some much-needed rest._"

Kenny closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

"Kenny... Wake up, Kenny..."  
"Leave me alone, Cartman..."  
"It's me, Kyle."

Kenny opened his eyes and found himself floating in outer space, with Kyle hovering in front of him.

"Another dream? Let's just get this over with..."  
"I'm not here for that, Ken. I wanted to ask you why you're not coming to my wedding."  
"We've talked about this many times."  
"Right. You still love me."  
"...You don't believe me?"  
"I believe that, if you did love me, you'd want to be there for me when I make the biggest decision of my life."  
"...I can't do it, Kyle. You've always been the strong one out of both of us. I just act tough, but, deep down... I'm nothing without you."  
"That's not true, Ken. You're stronger than you know. Go there, for me. Please."

Kenny's eyes teared up from Kyle's words of incentive and he woke up, back on his bed.

"_Kyle... I'll do it for you._"

* * *

Later that evening, Kyle and Stan were standing side-by-side at the altar. Kyle looked at the people who had come to attend to South Park's first same-sex marriage ceremony. Butters was there, along with Kyle's parents and brother, and Stan's own parents and sister had come to watch. Cartman was skulking outside, presumably waiting for the chance to ruin their wedding plans, but nothing surprised Kyle more than when he saw Kenny standing in the very back, alone.

"_Kenny... You came after all._"

The priest coughed loudly to get Kyle's attention and started the usual speech. Kyle was absent-minded for most of it, completely focused on Kenny, until the priest reached the most important part.

"-you, Stan Marsh, take this man, Kyle Broflovski..."

Kyle zoned out again, still wondering about Kenny.

"I wonder why he's here. What if he expects me to do something? What should I do? I... I can't..."

"I do."  
"And do you, Kyle Broflovski..."

"I can't do this."

"I..."

Everyone except Kenny leaned forward from excitement, waiting to hear two of the most important words in the ceremony. However, just as he was about to speak the words everyone wanted to hear, everything clicked into place – why he had broken up with Kenny, why he felt like crap, and what he needed to do.

"I... can't."

Every person in the room gasped in surprise, especially Kenny, and even Cartman, who was still spying from outside, heard Kyle's statement and was left mouth agape in shock. Stan was particularly surprised to hear what his fiancé had said, and couldn't believe his ears.

"W-What?" Stan asked.  
"I can't. I'm sorry, Stan. I can't do this. This is all wrong."  
"What do you mean? We've been dating for almost five years!"  
"I can't... I love... I love Kenny."  
"W-What about us? Just a few days ago, you said you loved me!"  
"And I do, Stan. I do. I just... I still love him."  
"More than you love me?"  
"...I think so. I'm so sorry."  
"But... you broke up with him, several years ago!"  
"And that was a mistake. I'm sorry, everyone! The wedding is off!"

Kyle stormed out of the building with tears in his eyes, completely ignoring Kenny and everyone else who had attended their wedding.

* * *

Kyle ran as fast and as far as he could, until he became too exhausted to move another inch. Kenny was hot on his tracks, but nobody else followed. They were too shocked to do anything but stare at each other blankly. When Kenny finally caught up with Kyle, he was faced with a crying boy on his knees, completely soaking the ground beneath him with his tears.

"Kyle?"  
"Go away, Ken. I don't want to talk to you."  
"...That's not true. I know how you must be feeling, but-"  
"Do you? I just blew up my wedding with a guy who loved me more than anything else. When did you do something similar?"  
"Five years ago, when you broke up with me."  
"...I'm sorry, Ken. For everything... For lying to you."  
"What do you mean?"

Kyle finally decided that it was time to tell Kenny the truth behind one of the most significant moments in Kyle's life.

"...I didn't stop loving you, Ken. I was just afraid of what my mom would do if she found out about us. She was piecing it together, and I didn't want her to know. I'm so sorry."  
"Kyle, I... I forgive you."  
"Kenny... Thank you."

Kenny wiped away Kyle's tears and gently stroked his cheek. Then, with one hand on his waist, pulled him closer to himself and locked lips. Kenny's senses were overwhelmed with a variety of sensations – from the sweet taste of Kyle's mouth to Kyle rubbing his back, everything felt a thousand times better, just because he knew Kyle still loved him.

* * *

However, not everyone was happy. Stan sat at the altar's steps on his own, crying, as his friends and family left, until only one was left behind.

"Hey, Stan. Why so sad?"  
"Why do you think, Butters? God, I swear, you sound like a retard sometimes."  
"No need to insult me."  
"...I'm sorry. I just... I wonder what I did wrong. Where did I fail in my duties as Kyle's boyfriend?"  
"There's nothing you could have done, Stan. It's not your fault.  
"That's easy for you to say. You didn't... You didn't fall in love with the greatest guy in South Park, date him, then propose to him."  
"That's right. I didn't. But if you really love him, you'd want him to be happy, no matter what that meant for you."  
"...Just go away, Butters. Leave me alone."  
"Alright, Stan. Just remember, if you want to talk, I'll be here."  
"...Thank you, Butters."

Cartman suddenly entered the small building, pointing and laughing at Stan.

"Ha! Your boyfriend left you!"

Stan snapped. His sadness was replaced with blind rage and hatred for the fat boy, and his body reacted to it. He threw several punches against Cartman's gut and face, until Butters had to pull him away, for fear that he might kill him.

"That's enough, Stan."  
"...You know what? Fuck this."

Stan kicked the brown-haired boy one last time before leaving for the home he shared with Kyle. Once there, he started packing his things, to move back in with his parents. He stopped for a few moments when he found an old picture of Kyle in their bedroom. He gently kissed it, stuffed it into his bag and finally left. He felt freer than he had ever felt in years, and although he knew it wouldn't last forever, he didn't care. All he wanted was to be on his own.


End file.
